Various conveying devices may convey particular molded parts in beverage filling plants. In conveying plastic screw caps, use is made of so-called air conveyors, in which the molded parts are lifted by means of a suitable stream of air and then conveyed to the required height. However, the conveying devices used need to be precisely configured in order reliably to prevent the molded parts that are blown through the conveying device from sticking or jamming. Moreover, the conveying of the molded parts in such an air conveyor causes the molded parts to reach relatively high speeds, which leads to increased wear of the molded parts.
Waterfall conveyors and conventional belt conveyors may be utilized. However, both need to be relatively elongated in beverage filling plants due to the differences in elevation that must usually be overcome. This requires that they take up a correspondingly large space.
Usually in beverage filling plants, and in particular in the area of conveying plastic screw caps to a corresponding capper, the plastic screw caps are sorted and oriented in the floor area of the plant. The plastic screw caps are then supplied via an elevating conveyor to the actual capper, which comprises the capping heads, and which is configured to attach the caps to the filled containers. A relatively large difference in elevation must usually be overcome here.
The elevating conveyors are usually followed by a buffer for the molded parts, in order to decouple the different process steps, i.e. to decouple the feeding of the molded parts, the sorting of the molded parts, and the actual use of the molded parts in a capper. Here too, the use of a separate buffer consumes space in a beverage filling plant.
Particularly when air conveyors are used, the design of each type of conveying device must be sufficiently exact that falling over, jamming or knocking over of the molded parts that are conveyed over the extent of the conveyor does not occur. This necessary design impedes access to the individual areas of the plant. Such an air conveyor accordingly proves difficult to maintain or clean.
Embodiments of the present disclosure and their advantages are best understood by referring to the detailed description that follows. It should be appreciated that like reference numerals are used to identify like elements illustrated in one or more of the figures, wherein showings therein are for purposes of illustrating embodiments of the present disclosure and not for purposes of limiting the same.